Proving lost wages in a Utah car accident claim is one of the most critical and challenging aspects of these cases. You might be surprised to learn that lost wages are more than the time you missed at work after your accident. For example, if you’re a full-time salaried employee, and you’ve used sick days and vacation days to stabilize your finances, you could also be entitled to recover these amounts.
At Valiente Mott, a Salt Lake City car accident lawyer could pursue compensation for your lost wages. We are dedicated to helping personal injury victims, and compassionate yet aggressive when advocating for our clients and their families. Schedule a free consultation today. We are happy to answer your questions about missed pay and assess your car accident claim.
What Does Compensation For Lost Wages Look Like?
Utah has made it possible to recover a portion of your lost wages before your case settles. Per the Utah Personal Injury Protection statute, you may receive “the lesser of $250 per week or 85% of any loss of gross income and loss of earning capacity per person from an inability to work, for a maximum of 52 consecutive weeks” after you have missed three days of work.
If your case settles and you are successful, you could recover a monetary award that replaces any earnings you missed out on due to your injury. In addition, you could be entitled to future lost wages depending on the severity of your injury. For example, you might be able to return to work but in a much-diminished role. Lost wages could make up the difference between what you earned before and what you can earn now.
Lost wages could also include sick days. Sustaining an injury often prevents you from working, destabilizing your financial security, so you might use your sick or vacation days to avoid missing a paycheck. Both are a form of compensation from your job, and you should not have to spend them on an accident that was not your fault. Any use of sick days, personal days, or vacation pay to cover your injury-related absences is part of your earnings and could be included in your financial settlement.
Tracking Lost Wages
To prove the value of your case, you will need to document your lost wages. If you are an hourly employee, this is relatively simple. It involves taking your hourly wage at the time of your injury and calculating the value of your claim based on the amount of time you missed at work.
Things can be more complex for salaried workers. If you are forced to use vacation time or sick days, you can use your annual salary to calculate what each of those lost days is worth. If you are self-employed, proving your damages has the additional challenge of not having employer records to fall back on.
However, you can use evidence that signifies a drop in billing or invoices. For example, if you use software such as Square Invoices or QuickBooks to bill your clients, you can use those records. In addition, if you use Google Calendar or another app, it should show all the canceled appointments, meetings, and conferences you could not attend.
You need a skilled car accident attorney to guide you through this complex process so you recover a fair amount that accurately reflects your financial losses.
Call Valiente Mott For a Free Consultation
If you were hurt in an accident, you might have a viable case for compensation based on your lost wages. Our car accident attorneys in Salt Lake City can thoroughly evaluate your damages and help you pursue a fair and reasonable monetary award. We understand the gravity of your financial situation. We know how difficult it can be when medical expenses and other bills pile up, and you’re unable to work to support your family because of your injuries.
Call Valiente Mott today for your free consultation. We work on a contingency basis, so there are no upfront legal fees. We look forward to hearing from you.